Skip to main content

EconPulse

Local economy signal dashboard

Saved
PLACEThriving

West Liberty, IA

Thriving overall. Federal Funds is the clearest support signal, while population needs the most attention. Housing reads as affordable for a median-income household.

Post on XLinkedIn
Overall score70out of 100
Compare
63
72
54
75
91

Population

3,776

Data freshness

Unknown

GDP / Output

+3.4% YoY

63

$3.2B

Output changed +3.4% in 2024.

Vintage date unknown

State growth5.0%
U.S. growth5.3%

Jobs

Unemployment rate

72

3.3%

Unemployment is 3.3% for June 2026.

Vintage date unknown

State avg3.2%
U.S. avg4.2%

Population

+0.7% 5-year

54

3,776

Population moved +0.7% over the latest ACS window.

Vintage date unknown

State population3,210,507
U.S. population334,922,499

Housing

Rent share of income

75

18.0%

Median rent consumes 18.0% of median household income: Affordable.

Vintage date unknown

State rent$972
U.S. rent$1.4K
HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

Federal Funds

$7.1K per resident

91

$305.3M

$305.3M in federal obligations flowed here in FY2025.

Vintage date unknown

State total$36.5B
U.S. total$5.3T

Population and output

Trend Snapshot

Reported share

Industry Breakdown

FY2025

Federal Money

Federal obligations

$305.3M

$7.1K per resident in reported federal flow.

Top agencies

Dollars
1. Social Security Administration$231.6M
2. Department of Veterans Affairs$16.6M
3. Department of Defense$16.0M

Top recipients

Dollars
1. ALLSTEEL LLC$21.5M
2. CARVER PUMP COMPANY$11.5M
3. REDACTED DUE TO PII$6.3M

Affordable

Housing Affordability

18.0%

of median income

1BR estimate$851
2BR estimate$1,121
Median income$69,345
Median home value$180,000

ACS context

Quick Facts

Population

3,776

Median age

35.0

Bachelor's degree+

16.2%

Poverty rate

11.3%

Labor force participation

79.8%

Prime rate

6.8%

CPI YoY

+3.2%

U.S. GDP YoY

+6.5%

Sources and warnings

Data Provenance

Census ACS 5-year

2024

BLS LAUS / CPS

June 2026

BEA regional CAGDP1

2024

USAspending

FY2025

FRED

2026-07-30

HUD Fair Market Rent

Latest available

Data notes
  • HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

5-year compound growth

Historical Trends

Population CAGR

+0.1%

GDP CAGR

+4.1%

Federal flow

5 years

Population (5 years)
20203,750
20213,847
20223,821
20233,795
20243,776
GDP (5 years)
2020$2.6B
2021$2.8B
2022$3.1B
2023$3.1B
2024$3.2B

2-year linear forecast

Predictive Outlook

Population forecast

20243,776
20253,798 *
20263,798 *

R² = 0.0% · * projected

GDP forecast

2024$3.2B
2025$3.4B *
2026$3.6B *

R² = 93.7% · * projected

Linear regression over available historical data. Projections are estimates based on past trends and do not account for policy changes, economic shocks, or other external factors.

housing affordability breakdown

Cost of Living

Median household income$69,345/yr
Median rent$1,038/mo
Rent share of income18.0%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$10,922/yr
Mortgage share of income15.8%

Rent data from Census ACS 5-year. Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 6.5% APR, 30-year fixed.

employment snapshot

Job Market

Unemployment rate3.3%
State avg3.2%
U.S. avg4.2%
Labor force participation79.8%
Poverty rate11.3%

Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. June 2026.

valuation snapshot

Real Estate

Median home value$180,000
Median monthly rent$1,038
Price-to-rent ratio14.5x

Low price-to-rent ratio — buying may be more favorable than renting in this market.

composite score

Investment Climate

Investment climateModerate
Composite score65/100
Economic growth63/100
Labor market72/100
Population momentum54/100
Overall stability70/100

Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.

Location Context

West Liberty city, Iowa

City/Town

Part of

Muscatine, IA

Nearby locations

Atalissa, IADowney, IANichols, IAWest Branch, IARochester, IA